Shot from above.Shooting form above looking down on a subject tends to diminish the stature of the subject. It can have the effect of belittling the subject and/or making viewers sympathize with or think less of it.
Shot from beneath. Shooting something from beneath looking up at, say the chin of a human subject, tends to make the subject seem larger than life. It can have the effect of making something seem superior, overly important, or menacing.
Shot straight on. You would think that this is the only honest camera angle, and in some ways it is more honest than others. But we all know the effect of holding a still shot of a subject and not moving it. We tend not to look at people this way because us and them feel uncomfortable. When the camera shoots a subject dead on without wavering for more than a few seconds, it tends to make us, the viewers, squirm. We are left with our discomfort, which is easily projected onto the subject.
Moving the camera. Short, jerky coverage of a subject often makes the subject seems strange, untrustworthy, or confused because it implies that the subject is trying to dodge coverage.
How we hold, position and move a camera can in large part determine how viewers think and feel about what they see. Camera angles are the adjectives and adverbs of video grammar. Camera Shots
Close up. A close up forces you to concentrate on the facial expressions and as a viewer you think about the individual. It is about the subject.
Medium shot. A medium shot allows you to see the subject’s interaction in the photo – the relationships.
Long shot. Along shot allows you to see the whole content. The viewer can see the subject’s relationship with the setting.
Composition of Photographs
Here are some words that are often used when discussing the composition of a photograph.
Foreground - the part of the picture that is nearest to the viewer
Background - the scenery behind something (usually whatever is in the foreground)
Symmetry - an exact correspondence of form on two sides of a plane resulting in balance
Asymmetry - lack of balance or symmetry
Tone - the intensity of light and dark
Shape - the basic geometric shapes, such as triangles, squares, and circles, that are apparent in a visual image's composition
Motion - the illusion of motion within a visual image
Introducing the Glossary
“Grammar of Camera Angles" Camera Angle Persuasion
How we hold, position and move a camera can in large part determine how viewers think and feel about what they see. Camera angles are the adjectives and adverbs of video grammar.
Camera Shots
Composition of Photographs
Here are some words that are often used when discussing the composition of a photograph.